What's the best ABV spirit for making vanilla extract?

I used 80proof vodka and Madagascar grade b vanilla beans and used their recipe. I made it 9/22/2023. I opened the large containers and the alcohol is too strong and not very vanilla tasting. Can this be fixed? I followed the recipe for the ratio of beans to vodka and I read the longer it sits the better it will taste. Not true in my case.

rebel bourbon is a favorite of mine for affordable whiskeys. it sits at 55% abv and im strongly considering using that for a vanilla extract. thanks for the video

You should note that 100 proof is 50% alcohol and 50% water half of it exists to extract what you want half of it to store what you want

Very, very cool!!! Thanks for the awesome content!!!

Nice job on the test. My initial thought at the beginning was to cut out the highest 2 ABV tests and do some lower ABV tests. Reason being not all states allow the sale of that high of an alcohol level spirit. Cheerz.

🦝

Great test and way of presenting it 👏
I used my own very clean triple distilled neutral spirit which I made from potatoes. They make the smoothest spirit, next to rice IMO 😅
I proofed down a half gallon from 177 to 111 proof. And since I got a thing with numbers I did actually 1800mL and added 1.11 Extract Exclusive grade vanilla beans, chopped open and seeds added separate from the chopped up pods, per 100mL of my 111proof neutral spirit ⚗️👨‍🔬 so 20 vanilla beans for the half gallon 😂 It's still aging actually, been going months now... I shook it every day the first month and did some hot water baths to speed up the extraction... But now it just sits in the dark and I use little bit here n there for brews and distillations since there's no additives in mine, the liquor or the vanilla 🤣
🤷 I think it's been great in everything I've used it in, no complains. I'm definitely happy I made it and it just gets better with time as more things extract 😋
🙏 Thank you for yet another extremely useful video 💯
Sincerely RuneShine, the Norse-Druid Alchemist from lower Michigan ✌️💚🫠

Thanks, as always an useful experiment for homebrewers worldwide, keep it up!!

It's called an alcometer

I wonder if it’s not just 50-60% ABV that’s best for making vanilla extract but also the best ABV for pulling vanillin from oak when making bourbon and whiskey🤔. I find that barrel strength whiskey is tastier than a lot of the other 80 proof whiskies.

I use 100 Proof vodka and treat it like a Perpetual Brew. I had more vanilla bean from time to time and add more vodka when needed.

I'll just stick with buying vanilla in glycerine. It tastes way better than vanilla in alcohol.

what is the ratio of vanilla to spirit used? 60ml to x amount of grams of vanilla

This was a cool test!

I feel like this was a missed opportunity to bake lots of cookies!

Really Enjoyed Your Video , Thanks ! 🐯🤠

Interesting test. I've always used 60% but thinking about it, not sure why. Must have heard it somewhere

It could be a combination of high abv extraction, then a period of evaporation/concentration down to ~35% abv? Might be a little low on the ABV but ya get the point lol

Info from my wife who makes vanilla extract. Her first reaction was that the batches didn't have nearly enough aging time. Also, chopping the beans doesn't help increase aging times or improve the infusion process, but it doesn't really hurt much either.

To compare your results to another group's results, she did say that another group that has a heavy focus on vanilla recommends an ABV between 40% and 50%.

What you made was a Vanilla Infused Alcohol, not Vanilla Extract. Clear spirits take a year to extract. Colored spirits such as Bourbon and Rum take even longer, sometimes 18 - 24 months. The quantities and qualities of the beans is also important. There are USDA Guidelines as to amount of beans to volume of alcohol. Finally, the recommended proof is 90 - 120. Straight Everclear will "Burn" your beans as mentioned above. It will make your beans dry & brittle not allowing them to extract properly.

Great job on the video, mead takes time. As does Vanilla Extract. You guys should do this one again but showing proper methods of extraction. Been doing this for many years, so I can say you are on the right track. Just needs to be researched more and shown in the correct format. Reach out if you're interested in learning more. 😊

Your video on this subject is important, as I'm wanting to make some vanilla extract myself. You've given myself and others like myself. The perfect ABV range that will allow one to provide the perfect vanilla extract for any use.
Want to do one on different vanilla beans and the difference of those flavors differences of taste test!
Great video BC .

"We would need dozens, if not hundreds of people to taste vanillas ...." So you're going to get a booth at GABF to get that data, right? At least using like a mead and a cider or a RIS or something. That would be an incredible video on top of an already very interesting one here.

Very cool test. I am just getting into making vanilla and my first batch was with 190 proof everclear and I be haven't tested it yet, but appears to have"burned" the beans and is very clear, my 2nd batch was with standard Jim Beam and tastes amazing... Check out a current video from Clement Family Farms, he is doing a similar test...

On a side note, I wonder how that would apply to different vanilla cultivars and cures? I tend to do most of my extracting in vodka or rum, usually 80-90 proof

Loving this! Great video, hugely beneficial to the homebrewing community. Shame Tiger Pat is sleeping through it all.

second ;)
extracting vanilla in Gentleman Jack makes an outstanding drink ;)

First?